Acrobatic toy



March 8, I932. T. s. LEWIS 1,848,257

ACROBATIC TOY Filed May 22, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l fYKllffa/r I A? [/0703 J: 51076 m xw- ACROBAT IC TOY Filed May 22, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 275 ad I2 2. 15:

ulley 32 secured to the trapeze unit and a riving belt 33. The trapeze performer is preferably in the form of a monkey having a body 34 a head 35,

a pair of arms 36 oscillatably hinged or pivoted as on pins 37 swinging legs 38 and a rigid tail 39. Each of the arms is provided with two hooks '40, 41,which are oppositely faced and which engage the rungs of the ladder from opposite directions. Preferably the arms are braced apart by across rod 42 which holds them parallel and cause them to The arms 36 if swung with its action and preferably it extends backward out of, alignment with the body of the figure. The tail is provided with a hook 44 the end 45 of which hook curls slightly inward. The length of the figure is such that with the hooks 40 engaging a rung, the tail I 39 would strike against a rung passing therebelow just clear of the hook 44, and so that such hook would be entirely free therefrom, and thereafter when the figure is carried around by movement of the trapeze, longitudinal shifting would engage such hook with the rung and disengage the other hook.

In using the toy one or more of the figures is hung by arms or tail from the rungs of the trapeze. Where two are used at the same time they are of course spacedtransversely apart on the rungs so that they will clear each other. The handle is turned clockwise and the figures swing downward from the rungs as shown in Fig. 1. When the rung on which they are suspended passes its top center the hook on the opposite end of the figure swings against an a ditional rung and as movement continues transferis made to such rung. It is found that in turning the device the figures will shift from auxiliary trapeze to main trapeze and back and execute numerous an expected transfers from rung to rung; Re-

versal'of the direction of rotation causes anadditional shift, and complexity of action.

Itwill be understood that modification of the detail of construction of both the trapeze and figure may be made without departing from the spirit or intent of my invention, and

that I do not restrict myself tosuch detail except as it may be specifically'set out in any particular claim.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In an acrobatic toy, a frame and a rotatable trapeze unit supported by said frame;

said unit comprising a central rung rotatably mounted in said frame, means for rotating said rung, opposed side members, each consisting of a pair of arms crossing at right angles and secured to said rung, one of said arms and its opposite arm being additionally connected by four transverse rungs spaced two on each side of said central rung at equal intervals therefrom, the remaining arms being connected by a pair of pivot rungs oppositely spaced at twice such interval from the central rung, and auxiliary trapezes rotatably mounted one on each of said pivot rungs, said auxiliary trapezes each comprising a pair of centrally pivoted bars connected by a pair of rungs oppositely spaced at the first mentioned interval from said pivot rung, means on each of said trapeze members engaging said arms to prevent complete rotation of said trapeze bars, and align them -with said arms, and a figure having hooks at both ends, engageable with a rung, and tumbling from rung to rung as said unit is rotated.

2. In an acrobatic toy, a frame, a rotatable trapeze unit supported by said frame, said unit comprising a central rung rotatably mounted in said frame, means for rotating said rung, opposed side members, each consisting of a pair of arms crossing at right angles. and secured to said rung, one of said arms and its opposite arm being additionally connected by transverse rungs spaced on eac side of said central rung at equal intervals therefrom, the remaining arms being connected by a vpair of pivot rungs oppositely spaced at twice such interval from the central rung, and trapeze members one turnably mounted on each of said pivot rungs, said trapeze members each comprising a pair of centrally pivoted bars connected by a pair of rungs oppositely spaced at the first mentioned interval from said pivot rung, means on each of said trapeze members engaging said arms to prevent complete rotation of said trapeze bars, and align them with said arms, and a figure having hooks at both ends, engageable with a rung, and tumbling from rung to rung as said unit is rotated.

3.In an acrobatic toy, a rotatable trapeze unit having rungs, and a trapeze performer cooperating therewith, said performer comprising a ody, legs, oscillatable arms rojecting beyond said body, and a tail projecting downward beyond said legs, means for limiting the swing of said arms from a downward and rearward position upwardly and forwardly to a position in substantial alignment with said body, said arms each having a pair of oppositely faced hooks at its outer end whereby engagement with said rungs may be accomplished in either direction of trapeze rotation, and said tail having a hook on the end thereof facing rearwardly.

4. In an acrobatic toy, a rotatable trapeze unit having rungs, and a trapeze performer cooperating therewith, said performer comprising a body, oscillatable arms projecting beyond said body, means compelling concurrent movement ofsaid arms, and a tail, projecting downward below said body, means for limiting the swing of said arms from a V downward and rearward position upwardly and forwardly to a positionin substantial alignment with said body, said arms each having'a forwardly faced hook at its outer end, and said tail having a hook on the end thereof facing rearWardly. v

5. In anfacrobatic toy, a rotatable trapeze unit having-rungs, and a trapeze performer cooperating therewith, said performer comprising a body, oscillatable arms projecting beyond said body, means compelling concurrent movement of said arms, and a tail projecting downward below said body, said arms each having a pair of oppositely faced hooks at its outer end whereby engagement "with said rungs may be accomplished in-either direction of trapeze rotation, and'said tail having a hook on the end thereof facing in a' single direction.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

THOMAS sLnwrs. 

